If Kaido could be described as a thick-skinned, all-around berserker with both overwhelming offense and impenetrable defense, then Shanks was the epitome of an agile swordsman with attack power that reached the heavens themselves.
Combined with his mastery of all three types of Haki cultivated to extraordinary levels, this made him perfectly suited to rule over an ocean where "only Haki can transcend everything."
Precisely because his Haki surpassed even the other Four Emperors by a significant margin, his attacks possessed incredible penetrating power—enough to instantly defeat opponents like Kid, who could somehow survive exchanges with Big Mom, with a single devastating strike.
However, Shanks was now experiencing firsthand just how difficult it was to deal with someone possessing the same caliber of Haki mastery.
A sharp metallic ring echoed across the battlefield as Jerry's fishing rod—already darkened by countless applications of Armament Haki—collided violently with the famous sword Gryphon in Shanks' grip.
Both fighters were forced backward by the tremendous recoil of their clash, then simultaneously twisted their bodies and catapulted toward each other with renewed fury.
Suddenly, a flash of surprise appeared in both men's eyes at the exact same moment. In an instant, both combatants quickly adjusted their stances and readied their Haki-enhanced weapons for the next exchange.
Strange distortions rippled through the air around their bodies, and this time they were violently launched apart like cannonballs, crashing heavily onto the fractured ice field.
Shanks struggled to his feet, pressing one hand against his ribs with a pained grin. "Hiss... I'd heard rumors about it before, but I didn't expect your Conqueror's Haki had really reached such an incredible level."
"You're not bad yourself," Jerry replied, shaking his arms several times while glancing at his torn sleeve and the sword cut visible beneath the fabric. "Trying to launch a sneak attack so openly—that's pretty bold."
"Hey, you did the exact same thing!" Shanks retorted, swinging his sword horizontally as he planted his feet and flashed forward, clearly preparing to launch his next assault.
In their previous exchange, both fighters had activated "Observation Killer" almost simultaneously, making it impossible for either side to rely on their future sight abilities to predict incoming attacks in advance.
This resulted in a brief moment where both sides hastily changed their tactical approaches. Although their attack power was inevitably reduced due to the sudden adjustment, their strikes still landed cleanly on their respective targets without any defensive interference.
Given this development, Shanks naturally decided to adopt a strategy of aggressive offense rather than defensive caution.
As a former apprentice aboard Roger's pirate ship, he had been greatly influenced by Roger and other legendary masters since childhood. He understood deeply that Haki was a tool to enhance combat effectiveness, but also knew that one's fundamental strength remained the most crucial foundation.
Therefore, when the predictive power of his Observation Haki failed him, Shanks immediately adjusted both his mindset and tactical approach without hesitation.
Similarly, after experiencing numerous high-level battles—especially his educational duel with "Teacher" Kaido—Jerry had already broken through his previous mental limitations. He felt that all his abilities, fighting techniques, and skills were now flowing together seamlessly.
After all, Kaido's teaching methods were brutally effective, and true talent emerged under the pressure of his relentless attacks.
Seeing Shanks' fierce incoming assault, Jerry showed no fear whatsoever. A dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes as he suddenly gripped his fishing rod tightly with both hands, drew it back to gather momentum, stepped heavily on the cracked ice, and launched himself forward to meet the attack head-on.
"What the—!?" Shanks experienced a powerful sense of déjà vu that left him momentarily stunned, though the trajectory of his sword remained unaffected by his surprise.
As expected, Jerry roared with primal fury as his fishing rod swept forward with devastating power.
The moment their weapons intersected, explosive Haki energy erupted like thunder itself, stirring up hurricane-force winds as the shockwave once again carved a hemispherical crater into the ice field.
Shanks suddenly felt enormous force transmitted through his blade, causing him to involuntarily stagger backward several steps.
"Brook's ice quality is pretty mediocre," Jerry observed casually, pausing to complain about their improvised battlefield before suddenly leaping high into the air.
Shanks' eyes widened with recognition and growing alarm. "You're doing it again!?"
Jerry's body moved like a phantom, appearing above Shanks' head in the blink of an eye. His fishing rod spun rapidly in his raised hands like a helicopter rotor, while his Haki flowed along the weapon's length like a living serpent.
Jerry's Conqueror's Haki erupted with tremendous force, and wherever his attack aimed, it seemed as though divine lightning was falling from the heavens, heading straight for Shanks' position.
An equally powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth from Shanks as he stood on the fractured ground, instantly releasing the invisible pressure that had been oppressing the surrounding atmosphere. His figure flashed and disappeared from his original position in a blur of motion.
A deafening explosion spread in all directions as the ice field seemed to detonate like a massive bomb dropped from high altitude. Countless ice fragments were launched skyward, and even the seawater beneath the frozen layer erupted in tremendous geysers.
Jerry balanced atop one of the towering water spouts and sensed powerful wind pressure rising behind him. Without hesitation, he spun and swung his rod backward without even looking.
The fishing rod suddenly intercepted Shanks' aerial approach, causing a flash of genuine surprise in the Emperor's eyes. "Do you have eyes in the back of your head?"
After voicing his amazement, Shanks had no choice but to meet the fishing rod with his sword in a defensive parry.
Following the sharp clash, Jerry used the rebound force to pivot around, raised his left arm without pause, and threw a devastating punch. As his lips moved, his voice carried clearly across the battlefield: "Everyone has eyes in the back of their head sometimes. I have a question for you too—how exactly do you trim your fingernails?"
Shanks swung his sword to block the incoming punch, glanced at Jerry with amusement, but chose not to give a direct answer to such an obviously provocative question.
The two fighters separated immediately after contact. Before landing, Jerry twisted his waist in midair, used Moonwalk to pivot gracefully like a soaring bird, and in the blink of an eye was swinging his fishing rod in pursuit of Shanks while continuing his relentless taunting. "Do you chew them with your teeth? Or maybe use a scratching post like a cat?"
Seeing this persistent harassment, Shanks spread his arm wide, suddenly executed a half-turn in midair, traced a beautiful arc through the sky, and unleashed a devastating sword slash.
A powerful shockwave emanated from his blade and instantly swept toward Jerry, who was rushing forward at lightning speed.
The howling wind resistance made Jerry's attack slightly more difficult to execute, but it couldn't stop the momentum of his fishing rod assault.
Steel rang against steel as blade and rod collided with explosive force.
Both figures shot away from each other in opposite directions, crashing into the ice field below at tremendous velocity.
Amid the deafening roar of impact, Shanks quickly rolled to his feet and assessed the nearby terrain, which had been reduced to completely shattered fragments. He immediately began using floating ice chunks as stepping stones, rushing toward the airborne Jerry like a streak of crimson light.
As he advanced, powerful Haki and spiritual energy danced around Shanks like nimble spirits, quickly forming the shape of a magnificent griffin that enveloped his entire body, adding incredible power to both his movement and offensive capabilities.
On the opposite side, Jerry witnessed this escalation and felt a serious expression cross his features. He thought to himself with grudging respect, So you're getting serious now?
In response, he immediately unleashed his own unparalleled Conqueror's Haki with momentum like a rainbow piercing the sky.
His domineering power seemed to take on physical form, transforming into an elegant dragon that began at Jerry's arm and climbed up to coil around his fishing rod with lifelike grace that took one's breath away.
The distance between the two combatants shrank to mere meters in an instant, their intense gazes meeting and seeming to generate actual sparks in the air between them.
The mighty griffin concentrated itself along Shanks' blade as he prepared to deliver his ultimate slash.
The dragon hovering around Jerry's fishing rod released a silent roar and suddenly lunged forward as Jerry thrust his weapon with every ounce of strength he possessed.